In general, a slide fastener is attached to a bag or a garment and used to open and close an opening, and the slide fastener is widely used because the method of using the slide fastener is very convenient.
A structure of a slide fastener in the related art will be briefly described. For example, the slide fastener includes left and right fastener stringers which have rows of fastener elements that are continuously provided on a fastener tape in a coil or zigzag shape.
The row of fastener elements include the plurality of fastener elements, and the fastener elements are injection-molded at a rim of the fastener tape by using synthetic resin such as, for example, polyamide, polyacetal, polypropylene, and polybutylene terephthalate.
In addition, the slide fastener further includes a slider which separates or couples the left and right fastener stringers.
Therefore, when the slider moves forward, the row of fastener elements enters the slider through a front side of the slider, and engages with one another in the slider, and then exits the slider through a rear side. On the contrary, when the slider moves rearward, the row of the fastener elements, which engages with one another, is separated, and then exits the slider through the opposite side.
However, the publicly known slide fastener has a problem in that a preliminary operation of coupling the pair of left and right fastener stringers in advance is complicated.
Specifically, to fasten the slide fastener, it is necessary to perform an operation of inserting an insertion pin of the left fastener stringer, which is not coupled to the slider, into the slider through the front side of the slider and then coupling the insertion pin to a box after allowing the insertion pin to pass through the slider. However, there is a problem in that it is difficult to insert the insertion pin into the slider, for example, in a case in which a user wears gloves or the like.
In particular, it is more difficult for a child to fasten the slide fastener by him/herself because he/she cannot perform a delicate operation of inserting the insertion pin into the slider.
Furthermore, even in a case in which a protector fastens the slide fastener attached to the child's garment, it is difficult for the protector to fasten the slide fastener because the child moves a lot.
To solve the aforementioned problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure which includes a first terminal formed with locking elements, and a second terminal coupled to the first terminal by being rotated in a state in which the second terminal is fitted with the first terminal
However, in the case of the structure, the second terminal is formed in a container shape and coupled to the first terminal by being rotated in a state in which the first terminal is accommodated in the second terminal, and as a result, there is an inconvenience of having to continuously perform two operations to couple the first and second terminals.
Furthermore, there is a problem in that the two operations need to be continuously performed to separate the first terminal and the second terminal.
In addition, because a stringer of a slider fastener is flexible, the second terminal and the slider easily interfere with each other when the slider is moved downward, and as a result, there is a problem in that it is difficult to accurately accommodate the slider in the second terminal.
Furthermore, because coupling force between a guide segment and the stringer is weak, there is a problem in that the second terminal is separated from the stringer during use.
Moreover, there is a problem in that the locking element is easily withdrawn from a notch while rotating, and the engagement of the row of fastener elements is released.
Further, because the container shape is opened, foreign substances can be easily introduced, and the locking element is more easily withdrawn from the notch due to an obstacle.
Patent Document 2 discloses a new structure in which a first fastening member and a second fastening member are vertically coupled and then horizontally rotated such that an insertion pin is inserted into a channel of a slider.
However, in Patent Document 2, a user needs to sequentially perform a vertical coupling operation, a horizontal rotating operation, and an operation of moving the slider in order to fasten a pair of fastener stringers, and the user needs to sequentially perform an operation of moving the slider downward, a horizontal rotating operation, and a vertical releasing operation in order to release the pair of fastener stringers, and as a result, the fastening and releasing operations are much more complicated than those for the existing slide fastener.
Furthermore, an operation of accurately rotating and inserting an insertion pin into a narrow channel of the slider in order to fasten a pair of fastener stringers is as difficult as the insertion operation of the existing slide fastener.
In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses a structure in which the slider is automatically rotated by an inclination angle when the slider is moved rearward in order to eliminate the horizontal rotating operation performed to release the pair of fastener stringers of Patent Document 2.
However, Patent Document 3 cannot sufficiently solve the drawback of Patent Document 2 because a vertical coupling operation, a horizontal rotating operation, and an operation of moving the slider upward need to be sequentially performed to fasten the pair of fastener stringers, and an operation of moving the slider downward and a vertical releasing operation need to be sequentially performed to release the pair of fastener stringers.
Therefore, there is a need for the development of a slide fastener capable of enabling a pair of left and right fastener stringers to be separated and coupled by a simple operation and improving coupling force with a stringer.
(Patent Document 1) U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,319 (Apr. 27, 1982)
(Patent Document 2) U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,927 (Feb. 20, 1979)
(Patent Document 3) Korean Patent No. 10-0281301 (Nov. 16, 2000)